Grant Green is featured: “Solid”

Grant Green is not a household name but should be. An outstanding Jazz guitarist who never seemed to fit in with the more famous ones like Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Joe Pass, Django Reinart and so on. But he is considered to be one of the top 10 ever, have you ever heard of him. Many haven’t, so here is a 1964 album of his named “Solid.” It is considered a Hard Bop album but a mellow one and with the support a solid cast of all-stars. Check the schedule link for play times.

About the Album:

After his untimely death in 1979, Blue Note published a number of Grant Green’s previously unreleased ’60s recordings. One of these astounding sessions is SOLID, an energetic outing that finds Green leading a large ensemble, including Coltrane band members and Blue Note regulars. Green shows his mettle with fire and precision, his bright, clear tone cutting through the dense sonic backdrop.

The set consists of several intriguing tunes, opening with Duke Pearson’s intricate “Minor League,” a swinging epic that allows for some powerful blowing, while modal pioneer George Russell’s sizzling “Ezz-Thetic” is a fast-paced burner that stretches the group nearly to its limit and offers an engaging harmonic foundation. Green’s own “Grant’s Tune”….Read more

More on Album:

Solid is a companion piece to the Grant Green classic Matador, recorded about a month later with the same rhythm section, and also not issued until 1979. Green is once again accompanied by the Coltrane supporting team of pianist McCoy Tyner and drummer Elvin Jones, plus bassist Bob Cranshaw; this time, however, Green is also joined on the front line by James Spaulding on alto sax and Joe Henderson on tenor. Both saxophonists really seem to light a fire under the proceedings, for in comparison with the relatively subdued Matador, Solid is a bright, hard-charging affair. There’s a little modal jazz, but Solid’s repertoire is chiefly complex hard bop, full of challenging twists and turns that the players burn through with enthusiasm. Green didn’t tackle this kind of material — or play with this kind of group — very often, and it’s a treat to hear him do so on both counts. The compositions — highlighted by Duke Pearson’s “Minor League,” Henderson’s “The Kicker,”…….Read more

Biography of Grant Green:

Although Grant Green recorded more than 100 albums, including 30 as the group leader, his career was overshadowed by more successful jazz guitarists, particularly Wes Montgomery and George Benson. Known for his clear, single-note, melodic style of playing with a pick, Green avoided the chords and octaves favored by his contemporaries and was renowned for his unique tone. He was a major force in the evolution of the guitar as a lead instrument and he influenced a generation of guitar players including Carlos Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and George Benson himself. Green always played to his audience, with a variety that ranged from straight-ahead jazz standards, bebop, soul, gospel, Latin, country-western, to funk. He covered the Beatles, James Brown, The Jackson 5, and Mozart. But whatever he played, his music remained rooted in the blues. Green played a green guitar, wore green suits, drove a green Cadillac, and his song and album titles often played on his name. During the 1990s Green was rediscovered and dubbed the father of “acid jazz” and his recordings reissued…..Learn More

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